Slavery has no place in today's ghana- US ambassador

Slavery should have no place in today’s Ghana, U.S. Ambassador Robert P. Jackson has said.

Speaking at a symposium on Trafficking In Persons (TIP) themed “Growing Up Free”, Mr. Jackson said it was important for Ghana to up the ante in the fight against human trafficking, slavery and child labour.

“I want to be clear: When we speak of child labour and slavery, we are not talking about children who are helping their parents with chores after school. Traffickers promise parents of children as young as five years old that they will provide the children with an education and an apprenticeship.

Instead, they exploit the boys in fishing on Lake Volta or in illegal gold mines or other industries. They exploit the girls in domestic servitude. The children are forced to work long hours, often in dangerous conditions. They are robbed of the chance to attend school, learn to read, and just be a child. That is not learning a trade or helping the family. That is slavery, and it has no place in today’s Ghana,” Mr. Jackson said in Accra on Thursday, July 28.

Read his full speech below

Remarks by Ambassador Robert P. Jackson on “Growing Up Free” Symposium on TIP

Honorable Minister for Gender, Children, and Social Protection, Nana Oye Lithur,

Government officials,

Civil society partners,

Colleagues,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Good morning. To begin, I would like to thank Right to Be Free for the invitation to speak this morning about this important topic.

Freedom and Justice. Those words are emblazoned on Ghana’s coat of arms. They are seen in government buildings across this country. It is bold, hopeful message fit for the ambitions of this great nation. And I believe this motto is as instructive and powerful today as when it was adopted nearly sixty years ago. We are all here today to discuss the many challenges we face related to human trafficking in Ghana and around the world. As you delve into the complexities of this problem and how best to fill the gaps in our response, I would ask that you be guided by Ghana’s motto. Let us make freedom and justice a reality for trafficking victims.

I would like to examine these two concepts in turn.

When I speak of freedom for victims, rescue operations conducted by the police and NGOs are only one piece of the picture. Before they can act, victims need to be identified—something that takes a whole-of-government and, in fact, a whole-of-society effort.

Recently we saw how ordinary citizens who had an interest in the well-being of their community made the difference between slavery and freedom for trafficked children. Two weeks ago, the Ghana Police Service and the anti-trafficking NGO Challenging Heights rescued four children from Lake Volta. They had allegedly been sold into slavery by their father. This rescue might not have happened but for the actions of concerned neighbors. They reported to the local police that the children had been absent from their father’s house, where they had been living in recent years. This was enough for the authorities and Challenging Heights to jump into action, investigating the case and organizing and executing a successful rescue.